


It's Not a Good Idea to Make Her Mad at You

by friendofkara



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 05:31:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17677322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/friendofkara/pseuds/friendofkara
Summary: In which Supergirl practices "El Mayarah" after being fired at the end of 4x08 and President Baker finds himself hoist with his own petard.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> While one of the Earth 38 individuals involved in this incident does resemble an individual here, the man of Earth 38 is not the man we know in the same way as the Overgirl of Earth X is not the Supergirl of Earth 38.

“ . . . and then he said ’Then I thank you for your service, but you are dismissed effective immediately.’ So that’s the situation,” Supergirl finished.

“He really said all that?” The other person’s eyebrows were fully raised. 

“I’m quoting him and his aide word for word. So what can I do?” Supergirl asked. 

The other woman closed her eyes, fully feeling her rage, and then she carefully reined in her emotions. When she opened her eyes, she appeared perfectly calm to those who didn’t know her well. 

“You don’t do anything. At least, not publicly. This is my fight.”

Supergirl knew the other woman well. 

“Why is it yours?” the Girl of Steel asked.

Her advisor told her. Then she went on to what she would do. As she worked through the list, Supergirl’s face became intent, then horrified.

“You can’t be serious!” she interrupted.

“Yes I am, and I’ll tell you why,” was the reply.

After she had finished, the Girl of Steel launched a counterargument, but her heart wasn’t really in it. Half an hour later, she nodded slowly. 

“You’re right. I wish you weren’t, but you are. This is not just about me.” 

“I knew you’d see it in the end. But even though I’ll be doing most of it, I’ll still need you to do a few things for me.” She grabbed a memo pad, jotted a few notes and tore out the page. “Here’s the list.”

Supergirl only glanced at it. “And what will you be doing while I do all this flying around?”

“I’ll be working my finger to the bone making the phone calls. However, once you’ve done all that, I’ll need you to come back here for a couple of other things. But when you go to his earth, don’t forget to give your friend Barry Allen a “Thank you” from me. 

Supergirl only rolled her eyes in reply as she left.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Nobody in Washington is surprised when Presidential staffers resign after a new man takes over; even if it’s a Vice-President being catapulted into office after his predecessor was exposed as an alien. So the reason a few eyebrows rose at Cat Grant’s departure from the Press Secretary position wasn’t her going itself, but at its’ speed: no-notice resignations from the White House are still relatively rare. But when Cat said, “The President needs a Press Secretary who is not tainted by a longstanding friendship with someone we now know to be an alien,” those eyebrows quickly dropped back to their normal positions.

The President was nonchalant: within ten minutes, Cat’s deputy was named her successor. If the President’s National City visit had been a one day affair, the man would have stayed in Washington, but since President Baker was scheduled to stay over to the next day to make a speech to the National City Chamber of Commerce followed by an appearance on CatCo’s “This Evening” (a highly rated interview show that featured between two to four guests), the new Press Secretary was heading west half an hour later.

And of course, Cat's resignation triggered several other events. Her blind trust instantly reverted to her control, and that included the CatCo shares that Lena Luthor had purchased the voting rights to for as long as Cat was Press Secretary. Which meant that as soon as Cat resigned (at 4:30 that afternoon, just in time to get picked up by the evening news), the Queen of All Media lost no time in picking up the controlling threads of her empire. As CatCo’s majority shareholder she requested and got a special board meeting at 9:30 AM the next day, which duly passed a motion restoring Cat to her position as CatCo's Chair and CEO. 

Lena Luthor was thrilled. Running CatCo had been challenging and rewarding, but running two companies at once had meant that she could not pursue as many of her own private projects at L-Corp as quickly as she would have liked. And the most important of those projects was now moving into a critical stage. And she found a couple of bonuses in the situation: bonus number one – Cat asked her to stay on as a CatCo board member. And bonus number two, which for Lena was more important, Eve Tessmacher confirmed she still planned to leave CatCo with immediate effect to continue working with her at L-Corp. 

James Olsen, on the other hand, had mixed feelings. On the one hand, he had done reasonably well as Cat’s stand-in. On the other, his self-outing as Guardian meant that he could no longer present himself as an objective journalist. Going back to his old role as Art Department head put him in a position where he could still play a major role in getting the news out, but without compromising CatCo’s position. 

Shortly after the board meeting, however, Cat’s temporary assistant called the White House Press Office to let them know that "This Evening"'s host, a longtime news eminence, had come down with laryngitis, and since Cat Grant was already in National City, she would take on the interview herself.

Neither the Press Office nor the Secret Service blinked. To them, Cat Grant was a known quantity. And they weren’t really concerned by the other changes the assistant had mentioned. The other guests were to have been two local politicians, a Congressman, and a Senator, but Cat wanted to change the lineup. For some reason, she wanted to substitute local tech wiz / enfant terrible Maxwell Lord and some biochemistry professor none of the agents had ever heard of from a little college up the coast who was presently visiting family in National City. 

It wasn’t a big deal. The Secret Service has very efficient screening procedures. Max Lord was cleared in five minutes and clearing the professor took only a few minutes more (one of the black ops agencies had a file on her for some reason or other). But the timing meant that it was too late to get the new guests’ names listed in the President’s Daily Brief. The Secret Service did pass a verbal summary on to the President at the end of his Chamber of Commerce speech, but he made no objection to the changes. He assumed that Cat would interview him first about the politics of the day, then turn to her other guests and talk about science.

That assumption was his second mistake.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

As the interview progressed, President Baker relaxed. His former press secretary was taking him on the quick tour of some of the issues of the day and asking the softball questions he had expected. As he answered them, he knew he was scoring points with the public. Even when Cat ran a reply of Lockwood’s arrest with his attempt to discredit Supergirl for hiding her identity, he was unworried. He would present his views in an even-handed manner, as one above the fray. He thought he had a good chance of picking up some of Lockwood’s softer supporters with little downside risk and his political strategists had agreed.

“Your new Press Secretary was asked about your thoughts on this yesterday evening,” Cat said, “And he replied that it was a matter for the local authorities. That might play well in Washington, but here in National City, we can’t help but know that Supergirl is working with SWAT teams who aren’t with the NCPD, as this statement makes clear.” The screen behind her showed an NCPD spokesperson denying that a mysterious black-clad group who helped Supergirl take down an alien were NCPD members and then denying that the department was investigating them.

Cat continued: “So those people in black weren’t NCPD. They can’t be State Police because the State boys have no jurisdiction in National City. Yet this black ops team are known to the NCPD because they aren’t being investigated. So that means that they must be from a Federal agency, which means we have to ask you this question, Mr. President; what do you think of Lockwood’s statement, and what, if anything, are you going to do about it?” 

“Well, a lot of people, a lot of donors, are asking how we can tolerate Supergirl hiding her identity in a government that is supposed to be for the people.” the President replied, “After Lockwood’s shined that spotlight on her reticence, her keeping that secret inflames the situation. In this environment, the government can’t afford anything less than full transparency from all our assets. So Supergirl has a choice to make, either she keeps her secret or she won’t be permitted to volunteer with any federal agency.”

“Have you told Supergirl this?” Cat asked. 

“Yes, I did. She said her family's best defense was anonymity and so she chose to keep her secret.”

“Wait a second, Mr. President,” Max Lord interjected, “Lockwood’s a liar. He didn’t hide behind a mask to protect his family, he hid behind a mask because if he hadn’t, the police would have arrested him the first time he appeared in public after he started committing the crimes for which he is presently facing charges: that is murder, blackmail, extortion, destruction of private and public property, theft of government property, the attempted detonation of Shelley Island. And two attempts to kill Supergirl."

“But Supergirl isn’t keeping her ordinary name and address to herself, to escape criminal prosecution, there are not now, and there never have been, any charges pending against her. She’s reserving that knowledge because she wants to keep her family safe and, I suspect because she wants to have a measure of privacy. All she has done for the past three years is to help people. We needed to find out who Lockwood was in order to charge him, but we don’t need to charge Supergirl with anything. So why are you treating her like she’s a criminal when she’s not one?”

“You missed something, Mr. Lord,” the President replied, “Aren’t you forgetting that incident three years ago when Supergirl had to be taken out by government agents after she went on a rampage? And why are you supporting Supergirl, when you are on record as being anti-alien in general and anti-Supergirl in particular.”

“I haven’t been anti-Supergirl since the incident you mention.” Lord replied, “And you’re forgetting the reason for Supergirl’s rampage, which is this: she unwittingly sprang a trap I set targeting some other aliens who turned out to be Kryptonians. They had attacked my facility and piggybacked some of their own software onto my satellites and I knew they would need to access that site to do something else. But when Supergirl sprang my trap, she was exposed to a drug I had devised.” Lord said, “And the FBI issued a statement at the time that completely cleared Supergirl from any criminal charges in the incident."

“But it was a damn good thing Supergirl sprang my trap. My trap misfired and produced an effect I didn’t anticipate. The drug I used was intended to knock out those other Kryptonians, not to cause them to lose self-control and give way to their worst impulses, which is what happened to Supergirl, but even at her worst, Supergirl never descended to Lockwood’s level, let alone to the level of what would have happened if my intended targets had triggered the trap."

Why do you say that?" the President asked.

“Because those Kryptonians did give way to their worst impulses later," Max replied," but by that time some government agents, Supergirl and I had figured out what they were up to and Supergirl had figured out how she could stop them. So it’s a good thing when the government and Supergirl work together. If Supergirl had been cut off from working with the government at that time, the only people now living on earth would have been the Kryptonian criminals who tried to hijack my satellites and any other aliens not susceptible to the Kryptonians manipulations.”

“What are you talking about?” the President asked.

“Everybody in National City knows about the day three years ago when we all found ourselves waking up in a different place in the middle of the day. Remember?” Max asked the audience. "And you might also remember, from the news reports that CatCo published at the time, that our sleepwalking was brought about by an alien attack on my satellites." 

Everybody in the audience nodded. 

“What wasn't published at the time was that the aliens were Kryptonians,” Lord continued, “After they’d piggybacked on to my satellites they sent out a radio wave they called Myriad, which effectively turned almost all of us into automatons before I could turn off what they’d done. However, by the time they’d launched the wave, I’d figured out what they were planning, and I’d produced a couple of blockers. I used the first one myself and I gave the other to Cat Grant here, because I knew she worked closely with Supergirl (at which Cat nodded her agreement). I knew the wave would not harm Kryptonians, and I needed someone Supergirl trusted to work with me. Working together, we came up with a couple of ideas to stop the wave and the first of these ideas, that speech of hope which Cat inspired and Supergirl delivered, did the trick. We all woke up, and my team was able to get control of my satellites again. Unfortunately, our success pissed of the Kryptonians and they went to the second stage of Myriad. And that’s where things got really dicey.”

“What do you mean?” asked the President. 

“Well, you’ll all remember a day or so after we woke up from our sleepwalking, everybody in North America came down with blinding headaches with drugstores selling out of Aspirin and Tylenol and emergency rooms being overwhelmed across the continent?”

Again, the audience nodded. 

“The Kryptonians were behind that one, too,” Lord continued, “When I took back control of my satellites, they didn’t give up. Instead, they sent their wave out from their HQ, a huge spaceship that had landed, fortunately, in a very isolated part of Nevada. And when I say huge, I mean huge: one of the military types said it weighed in at about a million tons. So the Kryptonians powered up their wave using an increasing power curve and set it to a frequency that caused our brain cells to keep on expanding. My calculations showed that they had enough power to fry the craniums of every human being on the planet and from the evidence we had, they came within thirty seconds of giving every one of us killer level strokes. When I reported what they were up to, Supergirl flew to the site, fought and killed their leader, and then she flew the spacecraft up into space and sent it away from earth, all the while believing that she would not return. And if it hadn’t been for someone I won’t mention, because this gets us into territory that must be classified, Supergirl would not have come back alive.”

“You mentioned classification, Mr. Lord. Didn’t you just break a national security restriction by telling us what you did?” asked President Baker.

“No, I didn't,” Max retorted, “The incident wasn’t classified at the time and hasn’t been classified since. And here’s why I know that: nobody has ever presented me with an NDA to sign or told me to keep what I know to myself. Some months back I asked then-President Marsden why the government had never approached me on the subject and she said that she had thought at the time that a major media organization already had the story and would publish it because it would give Supergirl a boost. Why didn’t you publish, Cat?”

“Because I didn’t have the full story then, and I don’t have it now. But I do know that my other guest, Dr. Elizabeth Danvers, Professor Emerita of Redwood University’s Midvale campus was also on the spot that night and she can tell us what she saw. Dr. Danvers, how did you come to be involved in this situation?”

“I was visiting National City, and one of my daughters, a law enforcement professional, experienced deep mental trauma as a result of what she was forced to do during the mind control incident," the motherly blond woman replied, "Since I was in her file as her emergency contact, I was asked to help her get back on balance. I was successful, and as I came in to report to her boss, Mr. Lord announced what the Kryptonians were up to with their increased intensity Myriad wave, which took all eyes off me. So I stayed in the background until the end.”

“And was Mr. Lord telling the truth about the danger we faced?”

“Not quite. He understated it a bit. If Supergirl had been fifteen seconds slower getting that thing off the earth, we’d all be dead now.”

“How do you know that?” the President asked.

“There was a timer on the wall that monitored the growing intensity of the wave and it ticked down the time-to-terminal threshold. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. And when Supergirl flew that thing away, the timer stopped at thirteen seconds and then it reversed directions and the time to termination increased.”

As the audience digested that, Cat turned to Max Lord and asked him, “In the events of that night did anybody mention the name of that spaceship that Supergirl threw into space?”

“General Lane said it was Fort Rozz, whatever that is.” Dr. Danvers nodded at Lord’s words.

“General Lane?” Cat asked.

“General Samuel Lane,” Max said, “He was then the Chief of Military Intelligence and is now the Inspector General of the Army.”

“And were any Kryptonians identified?”

“The Kryptonian leader that Supergirl killed with her heat vision was called Non,” Max replied, and again Dr. Danvers nodded. “By the way, he was the same guy who led the team that attacked my facility.”

“Thank you, Max,” said Cat Grant, “It would be nice if we knew more about this Non character.”

“I can speak to that point,” came a voice from the audience.

“And you are . . . ?” Cat prompted.

A dark-haired woman in an elegant blue outfit rose gracefully from her seat. “My name is Alura Zor-El, and at the time of Krypton’s doom, I was the Chief Judicator of its High Council, a position somewhat analogous to that of the Chief Justice of your country’s Supreme Court." 

“Then how are you here? Krypton blew up, did it not?” Cat asked. 

“It did. But not entirely. And the story of how one city came to be saved from that destruction is directly connected to the arrival of Non and his allies in this world. So, if I may join you . . . ?“ and the woman suddenly flew to the set area, landed, and, at Cat’s gesture, sat down in the empty seat across from the President with a poise that any queen would envy.

“My apologies for alarming anyone by flying here,” the newcomer said, “but I thought it prudent to demonstrate that I am not earth-born by using one of the powers we acquire on coming to this planet. But if I may return to Miss Grant’s questions: my story starts two years before Krypton’s destruction when a report was presented to our High Council that claimed that the planet’s core was becoming unstable and immediate, drastic action was needed to avert a planetary explosion. The author of that report was not one of our planetologists, but a military general, Astra In-Ze, whose longstanding hobby had been planetology. Unfortunately, the High Council rejected her report when the professionals cast doubt on her conclusions. Under pressure of her fears, she attempted to save the situation by launching a military coup with the help of a strike force that included her husband Non, a fellow military officer. Her group was stopped with some loss of life, and she and her team were tried, convicted and sentenced to Fort Rozz, which was our maximum-security prison. I served as the judge at their trials."

“But one member of the High Council believed General Astra’s report, and he did something about it. He was one of our greatest physicists, and he devised a force field that had had a radius of about 600 of your miles, and when destruction was imminent he activated it over Argo City, Krypton’s capital. He had also worked with the head of the local power utility to initiate an anti-gravity field centered around Argo so when the final explosion happened, Argo became an asteroid and our people survived. So when word reached me about this situation, it was a simple matter for me to access our files and bring a picture which I can show you.”

The visitor took something like a small tablet from her jacket pocket, placed it on the desk in front of Cat, tapped it, and a hologram appeared. 

“That’s Non,” said Max, and again Dr. Danvers nodded. 

“As it happened,” continued the Kryptonian visitor as she again tapped her device and the hologram disappeared, “Supergirl’s parents did not know in advance of the physicist’s plan, which is why they sent their twelve-year-old daughter and baby nephew away from Krypton moments before the blast. The pod carrying their nephew, the baby you now know as Superman, was launched first and came directly here: the pod that carried the girl who became Supergirl was launched later and was still close enough to the planet to be damaged by the blast wave when Krypton exploded. It was blown off course and into the same region of space as Fort Rozz. And there it sat for some years, with its occupant in suspended animation, until the pod could repair itself and re-commence its flight to earth. Meanwhile, it seems General In-Ze had taken over the prison and somehow activated Fort Rozz’s engines to follow Supergirl’s pod when it reactivated." 

“When they arrived here, General In-Ze and Non saw that in some respects your people had begun on the same path of planetary abuse that ended for us with Krypton’s destruction and they sought to avert it. Which is why, Mr. Lord, you met Non and suffered the takeover of your satellites. And while mine is not an official visit, I wish to give you not only my personal apologies for this incident but also those of our High Council. And one more thing needs to be said, General In-Ze had a niece – and that niece is Supergirl.”

“Supergirl killed her uncle?” broke in Max, stunned.

“She did. On Krypton family was everything, except when a family member turns criminal. Then it is the duty of the family to see that justice is done. Supergirl fulfilled that duty when she killed her uncle.”

“So where is this General Astra In-Ze now?” asked the President. “If she was on Fort Rozz and Fort Rozz came here, are we in for more trouble with criminal Kryptonians?”

“Your second question is one you should ask of your police agencies, but I can tell you that you don’t have to worry about General In-Ze. After repeatedly trying to recruit her niece to her cause, General In-Ze was killed in a firefight with some of your people. And she died in the presence of Supergirl, who has remained loyal to your government and continued to work with your police, even though Astra In-Ze was not only her much-beloved aunt but also her mother’s identical twin. Since she has remained loyal to her new people for years despite that not inconsiderable provocation to the contrary, may I respectfully suggest that you and your people have no need to distrust or fear Supergirl?”

“How do you know all this? And how did you get here? And why is your English so fluent?” asked the President.

“To answer your first question: six months ago your police encountered the rogue Kryptonian called Reign. To defeat her, it was found necessary to acquire a particular element not found on your planet. Some of Supergirl’s friends did a search of nearby space and found a supply of that element on Argo, then over a thousand light-years away. Another friend of hers has the capability to travel between worlds and he put it at her disposal. So when she arrived on Argo, we met, and when she told me of her time on earth, her encounters with the Fort Rozz criminals were included in her story."

“Why did she make a point of meeting you?” the President asked again.

“She couldn’t help meeting me,” the visitor replied, “To obtain the supply of the needed element, she had to make a presentation to Argo’s High Council, of which the Chief Judicator is a member. Prior to that presentation, when we were chatting privately, we discussed what had happened to Fort Rozz and the fates of some of its prisoners. Once she obtained the needed supply of the element from the Council, she promised to have a friend of hers attempt to synthesize that element and return with an increased supply, which thanks to a bio-chemist of this city, she was able to do. And I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Lena Luthor of L Corp., who provided that supply which has made it possible for us to speed our flight through space, arrive at our projected destination somewhat sooner than we had originally projected while remaining healthier while we do so."

“Once I learned of your world, I wanted to learn more about it, so, knowing that Supergirl would be returning to Argo, I asked her to obtain some items for me including an English dictionary and a grammar textbook. When she returned to Argo with the supply of the element Dr. Luthor had synthesized, she also brought the items I'd requested. So I had her enter the details into our translating computers, went to bed that night and woke up fluent in English the next morning. Since then, I have been studying your legal system, history, and literature with great interest." 

“And to answer your second question, Krypton had, and Argo still has, the ability to use a matter transportation system to send people instantly to destinations within a thousand light-years and I used that system to come here. And while I do apologize, Mr. President, for this technical violation of your immigration laws, rest assured that I shall very shortly use that system to return home. Does anyone have any other questions?"

“Yes,” President Baker said, “You mentioned that Argo was over a thousand light-years away when Supergirl first arrived. Now it is clearly closer than that. Are you planning to come here?”

“No, Mr. President, we are not planning to come to Earth. Instead, we are traveling to another planet our astronomers have identified as being the most suitable for our needs. While it has a full biosphere under a yellow sun and is thus fully able to support us, it does not have sentient life on it, or anywhere within three hundred light-years. So we should be able to settle there peacefully without troubling anyone. Once we are settled, we’ll consider the possibility of trade relationships, or if you think it might be useful to you to start trading earlier, we'd be open to a discussion. Are there any more questions?”

“Yes, Chief Judicator,” Cat Grant replied, “You mentioned that this was not an official visit. When legal eminences from other countries visit us, their visits are never described as official. Also, your visit must have been organized very quickly, yet you apparently can speak for your High Council. So I’m wondering: do you hold any other position in Argo’s government?”

“That’s a very astute observation,” the Kryptonian replied. “Under Krypton’s system of government, the Chief Judicator was the Vice-Chair of the High Council and the Chair’s designated successor. After Krypton’s destruction, the then-Chair felt so responsible for what had happened that he fell into a deep depression. Ultimately, he could not live with himself and eventually he committed suicide. Normally, the Chair of the High Council does not hold any other position: however, my designated successor as Chief Judicator had been visiting another city on the day of doom, and the man who will now succeed me in the role had yet to be chosen when the former chair committed suicide. Following those events, the High Council received a petition signed by the great majority of our lawyers and the general population requesting that I remain temporarily in the double role of Chief Judicator and High Council Chair until my successor as Chief Judicator can complete his preparations, which will be sometime next year. And that, of course, is the fundamental reason why I must not remain: the Chair of Argo’s High Council has no place in this discussion. It is a matter between Supergirl and her earth government. The saying ‘Strangers have no business at a family fight’ is as true here as it is on Argo.”

And with that, Alura Zor-El gave the audience a gentle smile and left the set.

As she left, Cat Grant asked her next question. 

“Mr. President, you said that when you asked Supergirl to reveal her identity, that she replied that her family’s identity needed to be kept out of public view. Do you know if her family has been attacked in any way because of who she is in the years since she landed here? "

“I don’t know,” he replied.

"Did you ask her how many times her family had been attacked because they’d taken her in?"

"No." 

“Did you think of offering her family the same Secret Service protection your family gets?” Cat continued

“I can’t do that. The Secret Service gains its authorization to protect certain individuals by an act of Congress. It would require a change in the law to do have them protect Supergirl’s family. And for all we know, they don’t need protection.”

“You didn’t offer to fund the protection they might need? ”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Also, you mentioned previously that you were being urged to take this stand for transparency and find out Supergirl’s identity by some concerned donors. Would you reveal the identity of those donors?"

“Of course not,” said the President.

“Do you plan to investigate them?” Cat continued. “I mean, we don’t know if these donors have been funding Cadmus or the Children of Liberty.” 

“Of course not,” said the President. “They’re American citizens and they have the right to privacy, which means they have the right to act anonymously, just as you do. As the Supreme Court has pointed out, in Roe v. Wade and Griswold v. Connecticut the right to privacy is a right to protection from government intrusion. That right goes all the way back to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, which tells us that governments ‘derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.’ Unless they consent to give up their privacy, governments have to be careful with the information they reveal about American citizens. And the only way American citizens lose that protection is by due process of law.” 

“And yet, you would you deny Supergirl that same right to maintain her privacy and act anonymously.” pressed Cat. 

“Supergirl is not an American citizen,” replied the President.

“Are you sure?” asked Cat. “I believe my next guest has some pertinent information on that point. To avoid creating security issues, he’s joining us via Skype.” 

A screen off to one side lit up and everyone exclaimed in surprise as they recognized Cat’s next guest. Thomas Donaldson was a billionaire real estate developer who’d run a maverick campaign for President over a decade earlier when the previous incumbent had died suddenly of a heart attack. His campaign had been barely successful and his Presidency had been, to put it mildly, not politically correct and highly controversial, marked by high-risk, high reward negotiating tactics that were so nerve-wracking to the public and an overall strategy so unpopular to the chattering classes that he had not been re-elected. Since his departure from office, he’d returned to his business and re-launched his hit TV series Negotiations, which purportedly took his audience inside real business deals as they happened.

“Good evening, Cat,” he said.

“Good evening, Mr. President. It’s your second toughest bitch kitty negotiator hassling you again.”

Donaldson winced, “I still say that mike was supposed to be off.”

Despite Cat Grant’s political preferences, she knew a good show when she saw one and she’d eagerly signed the former President to reprise his show on CATCO-TV where it quickly became the new network’s first big hit. Naturally, the first of the new Negotiators episodes had covered the negotiation that had given the show its’ new home. Media Mogul and former President had gone head to head over a number of points and afterward, a mike had picked up the latter’s comment to his aide that Cat was “the second toughest bitch kitty negotiator” he’d ever seen. His remark had sent ratings through the roof and caused an immense amount of speculation as to who the toughest negotiator was, speculation to which the former President had never responded.

“Are you ever going to let me forget that?” he now asked.

“Not until you tell me who the toughest bitch kitty negotiator you ever met is. After all the magazine interviews I’ve done where the writers have given me that title, I find it hard to believe I have competition. I think you were just putting me down,” Cat replied, “But that’s not why we’re here. Do you know if Supergirl is an American citizen in her private life?”

“She is an American citizen of fourteen years standing. I facilitated the process myself. And, right now I wish this question had never been asked.”

“Why did you make her a citizen?” asked President Baker. “Supergirl is an alien.”

“Because Supergirl was represented by a negotiator who held all the high cards and I had zip.”

“What happened?” asked President Baker.

“It started when the White House Signals Office got a phone call–from an American calling from a location in Russia. The caller left a very disturbing message. After identifying herself, she said three things: that earth had a second Kryptonian visitor, that if I wanted that visitor to grow up as an American, I would need to personally take her next incoming call in three hours, and that if I needed proof of her claims, I should: a) consult her entry in Who’s Who to determine whether she might be likely to be offered employment in other countries and b) consult a particular man who would be able to confirm her custody of the Kryptonian, and c) she gave me a detail that would enable me to find him. That detail was something less than one hundred very highly cleared people in the US government should have known and the fact that an unauthorized individual knew that detail set off a lot of alarm bells. So I was briefed, asked for a check on the Who’s Who entry which showed that my caller was indeed in demand all over the world, asked if we knew anything about a second Kryptonian on earth, and started a rush check on the confidential detail my caller had supplied. And when I got those answers, I realized that we had a major problem, and so I was waiting for her call. And when she called back, still from within Russia but from another city, she told me an even more disturbing story.”

“And that was?” Cat asked. 

“According to my caller, some two years previously, she and her husband had been entrusted with raising our latest Kryptonian visitor. (She didn't tell me who had entrusted them with that responsibility, but it wasn't necessary – I could guess.) Less than a year after that, their home was invaded one night by a large number of armed men proclaiming themselves agents of the US government and that they would take the Kryptonian girl by force with them for study - an action only averted when the husband, who had a deep knowledge of Superman – for reasons I won’t mention here – offered to put that knowledge, and himself, at the government’s disposal instead. The name that my caller had originally supplied turned out to have been the name of the agent in charge that night. Since that night, her husband had worked for the US government and my caller had bank records to prove it. Some months later, she said, (which was six months before my election) her husband was reported dead in a plane crash, but given how he had been recruited, she doubted that the report was accurate. So she had waited until her work took her abroad, which it frequently did, and arranged for her daughter to leave the country with her. So since they were now abroad, she asked, did I want a second American Kryptonian or did I want another country to have her, because she had a job offer from that country?”

“I asked her if I could have a couple of hours to check on this part of her story, and my caller agreed to call me back. By the time she did, I had checked out her story as best I could.

“When she called again, I began by telling her that while the man whose name she had given me was missing and believed dead, my staff had found other people who could confirm her story of the house raid and what had been said that night. I then turned to the big question. Now remember: by that date, we all knew that Superman was a valuable national asset, so of course I said I wanted the girl to grow up American."  


“To which my caller replied: ’That’s good because I want her to grow up American, too. But here are my terms.’  
• ‘I will commit to raising my Kryptonian daughter in the tradition of the finest American ideals,  
(I agreed to that.)  
‘And you Mr. President,’ she said, ‘will ensure that the following is done as soon as possible:  
• ‘There will be no government interference with my daughter’s life for as long as she remains hidden and does not use her powers publically.  
(We had a long discussion on this. My caller pointed out that if the young girl grew up and volunteered to use her powers she would be more valuable to us as a volunteer rather than as someone forced into doing something she didn’t want to do. I agreed. But while she was growing up, and for as long as she didn’t come out publically, I wanted her monitored to make sure she was living below the radar and not using her powers, and, after some back and forth, my caller eventually agreed.) Then my caller continued:  
• ‘That I would facilitate her daughter’s formal legal adoption into that family and see her granted legal American citizenship in a way that protected her identity as much as possible,  
(I could do that easily, and I did.)  
• And finally, with one exception, we agreed that we would both commit to keeping this agreement totally between ourselves," the former President finished

“And what was that exception?” asked President Baker.

“It was this,” replied his predecessor, “If the government ever made the young girl’s earth identity public, or even threatened to do so, my caller would have the right to not only make our agreement public without being prosecuted for violating national security, but she would have the additional right to make public any incident involving her daughter which the government had classified. And this term of the agreement would be in writing. I said I could grant that during my term, but I couldn’t speak for my successor, but my caller had thought of that. She said ‘Then give me an un-dated Presidential pardon, that specifically allows my daughter to speak to me of any incident in which she is involved, and me to speak publicly of any incident involving my daughter, without regard to classification. I could make public what I want and date the pardon for the next day. No subsequent President would want to take the risk of testing that pardon in the courts or in Congress.’ And she was right. Once she had that pardon, trying her after she made something public would open a hellacious can of worms. I didn’t want to do that, but the situation forced my hand and my caller knew I’d have to give in. So she held out until I did. I tried everything I could think of, but I couldn’t change her mind."

“How could you do that?” sputtered an appalled President Baker.

“Easily. The bottom line was, and still is, national security. Two well-meaning Kryptonians are better than one, especially if the other one were to serve a country not fully aligned with our interests.” Everybody in the room understood what the former President did not say. “And from the way she handled her initial phone calls, I had some reason to trust that my caller would keep her end of the deal, which is something that she has done to this very moment. And it’s a damn good thing I make that deal. If I hadn’t made it, we’d all be dead now–as Mr. Lord and Dr. Danvers have told us. As far as I know, Supergirl's never asked anyone for any favor whatsoever: the least we can do is give her some private life, as Mr. Lord has pointed out. And Max, I think this is the first time you've ever agreed with me about anything.”

Max Lord looked as if he had bitten into a lemon as President Baker shook his head, unmoved. "So why are you telling us all this?” 

“Because Supergirl's mother knew in advance about your attempt to forcibly expose Supergirl's identity. She asked me to stand by for a Skype call from Cat tonight.” 

Cat rejoined the conversation, “Do you know, Mr. President, if Supergirl’s earth family have suffered any more attacks because she is Supergirl other than this illegal home invasion and the loss of their husband and father to the coercion that you have described?”

“Not to my knowledge,” the former President replied. 

Another voice from the crowd spoke up. “That’s a question I can answer.”

“And who are you?” Cat asked.

“I’m Detective Sergeant Margaret Sawyer of the NCPD’s Science division. A year or so back, Supergirl reported receiving a phone call from someone who had kidnapped her sister and placed her in a time-limited death trap entailing death by drowning. The kidnapper knew Supergirl’s civilian identity and wanted her to engage in an illegal activity as the ransom for saving her sister’s life. To solve the case, Supergirl realized that it was necessary for her to tell us of the kidnapper’s motive. Thankfully, working together, the NCPD and Supergirl managed to free her sister in time. If we’d got there even a minute later, she would have drowned.”

“And the kidnapper?” Cat asked

Maggie half-lied with a good conscience since J’onn had wiped the man’s memory, “In the wind.” 

“So you know Supergirl’s identity?” President Baker asked.

“Certain members of the NCPD know it, but it’s a law enforcement confidence. I’ve also been authorized to speak officially by both Chief Lowell and Mayor Truxton to tell the world that so long as Supergirl acts within the confines of the Good Samaritan laws, it’s fine with National City and the NCPD if she does so anonymously. City Council will be passing a resolution to that effect tomorrow morning.” 

The audience applauded, but the petite Latina hadn’t finished. She raised her hand, and when the audience quietened, she spoke again: 

“The NCPD has known for some time that certain people in Federal law enforcement know who Supergirl is and that until now, they have been happy to work with her. We also know from the news clips of that night she went out of control that the Feds can take her out any time they want to, whether or not she goes off the rails. And the NCPD now has the same tools. So even if Supergirl wants to keep her private life to herself, that anonymity is no threat whatsoever to the safety of the people of National City or to the country. And the NCPD utterly rejects any notion that would posit a false moral equivalence between the criminal reasons Ben Lockwood hid his identity and the valid reasons why Supergirl reserves hers.” With that, Maggie sat down.

In the silence that followed, Cat spoke up: “So everybody on this planet owes Supergirl their lives. Ben Lockwood hates her, yet he owes Supergirl his life, and the lives of his wife and kids. Your donors owe her their lives and the lives of their spouses and their kids. Even you, Mr. President, owe Supergirl your life and the lives of your wife and children. It doesn’t bother you that you are welshing on your debt?” 

"No," said President Baker, "My constitutional responsibility is to protect the country. As a very wise politician said, many years ago, 'My first qualification for this great office is my monumental personal ingratitude.'"

"Your 'constitutional responsibility?'" The incredulous note in her voice turned all eyes to the quiet professor as she rejoined the conversation, “Your constitutional responsibility does not allow you to reject the America of the Declaration of Independence in which ‘all men are created equal’ and 'endowed with certain unalienable rights' in favor of Orwell’s Animal Farm in which ‘all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others,’ which is what you are doing. It’s hypocritical for someone whose family has never been attacked because they are protected by the Secret Service to push an unprotected family, already attacked twice, squarely into the sights of any of the crazies that Lockwood's fanaticism has whipped up. And it's equally hypocritical to deny Supergirl and her family the rights of American citizens to which they are legally entitled, while you correctly and eloquently affirm those rights in the case of your donors. The only reason for denying an American citizen his or her rights is due process of law, and what you are doing here is anything but. You are trying to put Supergirl into a box. Either she does violence to her sense of public duty and puts the security of the country at measurably increased risk by not volunteering for whatever federal agencies she’s been helping out, or you force her to sacrifice not only her own constitutional right to privacy but also the constitutional rights to privacy of her family as well." Dr. Danvers turned and looked at the audience. "And every one of you should ask yourself this: if he gets away with doing this to Supergirl and her family, what's he going to do to me if I get in his way?”

“You seem to be taking this personally Dr. Danvers,” the President commented. “This has nothing to do with you.”

“Well, in the sense that I’m not an alien or an immigrant you’re right,” Dr. Danvers replied. “I’m a fifth-generation American on both sides of my family, so you might think I shouldn’t be affected by any of this." The voice of the motherly blond biochemist had never varied from its even tones and it did not vary now. “But if Supergirl was to give way to your pressure and stand here and reveal the name under which she lives her private life, that action would make you an accessory before the fact to violating three people’s constitutional rights to privacy without due process: those people are Supergirl herself; my eldest daughter, her sister; and me, her adoptive mother."

The audience gasped, but Eliza Danvers continued, as calmly as if she was discussing a shopping list, “And I’m taking this opportunity to look you in the eye and exercise my constitutional right to protest your action. By your attempt to deprive us of our Constitutional rights, apparently for no better reason than to curry favor with some of Lockwood's supporters, you have not only threatened to force my daughter to paint a target on my back and her sister’s back, you have put national security at increased risk, and broken your Presidential oath to ‘preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States' thereby proving yourself to be a coward, a hypocrite, and precisely the kind of tyrant our ancestors fought the American Revolution to free ourselves from.” 

A dead silence fell over the room: nobody moved, nobody breathed. 

Nobody dared breathe.

“I told Supergirl that the United States does not want a war with her,” a stunned President Baker finally replied.

“You aren’t getting a war with Supergirl and the United States isn’t getting a war with her either," that quiet voice continued. Implacably, "But you started a war with me. And I’ll finish it.” 

“There’s no need for dramatics here,” the President said. “Now that the public knows who Supergirl is, she can work for the government without restriction. And you’re a law-abiding citizen so you won’t take it further.”

“No, neither of those things is going to happen,” replied Eliza Danvers, “Supergirl has never “worked” for the government, and she’s not starting now. In addition, I am indeed taking the matter further: we’re going on a family vacation.”

“A vacation. So you’re not really concerned about the targets you painted on your backs?” asked the President, in a nasty tone. 

“I am gravely concerned," the biochemist replied, "But the destination we are going to is the ideal destination for us because it's a place where nobody on earth will be able to take advantage of the information you tried to force Supergirl to reveal. But it’s no surprise that you don’t see it. One key detail hasn’t been mentioned yet. You remember that General Astra In-Ze had a twin sister?”

“Yes.” President Baker replied.

“That twin sister is Chief Judicator Zor-El.” The audience gasped as the penny dropped. “Which makes her Supergirl's mother. Don’t you think my daughter would love to introduce her earth family and her cousin to her mother and show them around her old home town? In fact, she’s so eager to get started that she’s already left Earth. And, by the way, she’s traveling to Argo in the same ship she arrived in, which was her mother’s personal property.”

“That’s impossible. That ship is in government storage,” President Baker exclaimed.

“Not anymore,” was the calm reply. 

“Taking that ship is theft. The US Government has salvage rights to it.”

“Actually the government removed the ship prematurely from where it had been temporarily parked so Superman could take his cousin to a safe place," Eliza replied. "He had planned to take it elsewhere after ensuring his cousin's safety. In fact, it was less than an hour from the time Superman left to the time he returned and found it gone. Granted, her procedure is a little irregular, and if you want to be petty about it, you can initiate a claim for the salvage and storage costs with the US Federal District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, which, as the US Admiralty court, is the proper venue for this situation. But before you do that, you might want to consider how the court’s judges might respond to government requests to keep certain relevant information under wraps, like who removed the ship, and where was it stored for the last couple of decades? And if you do launch a suit, once the court renders its judgment, which will be in about eighteen months or so, just email a copy of the decision to the email address inside the envelope that Miss Grant has for you and Chief Judicator Zor-El will see to it that the bill will be paid. Also inside that envelope is the name of a military officer who is known to you, and a note explaining why that name is relevant.”

“How do you know whether I know a particular officer’s name?” 

“That will be explained in the note.”

“How long will your family stay on Argo?” Cat asked.

“That’s a good question,” Eliza Danvers replied. “Some months certainly, possibly longer. Who knows? It’ll take a while to show us all around. Also, the Chief Judicator wants to have some long talks with us, and I want to have some long talks with her. And Superman does too, and he’s already there. I wonder what he’ll think when he hears about all this: for some time he has had good reason to keep the federal government at arm's length. Also, our vacation will give me the time to take some training courses in Kryptonian medicine, physiology, and psychology, which will come in handy if Supergirl decides to return to earth. And her sister might also join me in that project. Not to mention the trip will give Supergirl time to decide what she wants to do. All she's ever wanted was to live a normal Kryptonian life with her friends and family and pursue her ambition to join the military guild. Now, instead of believing those dreams lost forever, she has the chance to make them happen. She might even take up another useful job that will be waiting for her.”

“What’s that?” asked Cat.

“It’s only two or three years until Argo arrives at the new planet they’ve chosen. And since it has a yellow sun, my daughter – not to mention myself and her sister – will be able to help them adapt more easily to the new powers they’ll receive. So for the first time in over a decade, my daughter has a real choice about her future and the kind of life she wants to live. She can stay there if she wants, or she can come back here if she wants to live without the private life she loved. And she’ll make that choice without any pressure whatsoever. 

“But we need Supergirl here,” President Baker said as he realized, too late, where this was going. 

“Really? You dismissed her from government service yourself. You just want a Kryptonian or two to help the police. And now that Argo is in our sky, you can’t play on my daughter’s sense of public duty to force her into doing what you want, because she knows that you'll find it easy to arrange suitable replacements just by talking to the Argo High Council via that email address in the envelope.”

The President blanched as he realized the full depth of the hole Eliza Danvers had dug for him. If he negotiated for Kryptonian police, he would lose any support from Lockwood's sympathizers who'd see them as the "foreign mercenaries" decried by the Declaration of Independence: yet if he lost Supergirl, and possibly Superman, without replacing them, he would be publicly putting national security at risk. Combine that with the way the quiet, all-American mother had shaped her charge about how his attempt to force Supergirl to reveal her identity violated her family’s constitutional rights, and he might even be facing an impeachment fight.

“I think I need to consult some files,” said President Baker, “so if you will excuse me. . .” and he rose and left the set, barely remembering to receive the envelope Cat Grant handed to him.

As soon as the President left, Dr. Danvers began to rise. "I'm afraid I must ask you to excuse me, too: my ride to Argo is waiting.” 

The former President was still watching from the monitor, “Before you go, Dr. Danvers, I'd like a word." As Eliza sat back in her chair, Donaldson continued, "There are two things that must be said. I don't speak for America anymore, but I think I speak for many of us when I thank you for raising your daughter in the way that you have. You have more than fulfilled the deal we made that night." A loud roar from the audience heralded a standing ovation. As it died, the former President continued, "Second, now that the agreement we made has been broken by Henry’s stupidity, I'd like to reiterate the job offer I made you after I left the White House. And I’ll sweeten the deal. If you come to work for me, I’ll commit to permanently supplying the bodyguards that you and your eldest daughter will need. And they are trained to Secret Service levels.”

“Thank you, Mr. President, but as I said before, I can take a stand for what's right when I have to, but practical negotiations of the kind you want me for are not really my thing. But I appreciate the thought. And I'll take my share of your thanks for raising Supergirl, but any credit for the way she turned out needs to be shared with Chair Zor-El and her late husband who did a marvelous job starting her off, and my eldest daughter who stepped up over and over again for her sister. ”

Another roar of applause filled the room as Max nodded his agreement, and then he spoke: "Negotiations may not be your thing, Dr. Danvers, but biotechnology most definitely is. And my offer to head up Lord Industries new biotech division is still open. And I'd be happy to provide the necessary bodyguards, both for you and your eldest, whose courage and integrity fully match those of her sister, as proven when she risked her own life that night by flying what I suspect was that Kryptonian spacecraft you mentioned out of the atmosphere and coming back with Supergirl." 

Eliza Danvers ignored the gasp and the new round of applause that followed Lord's statement, “Thank you, Mr. Lord, but no. The reasons I gave you the last time we talked still hold. Goodnight,” she nodded to Lord, “goodnight, Mr. President, goodnight, Miss Grant, and thank you for the invitation to appear tonight. And I'd also like to thank you for being my daughter's mentor for her first three years at CatCo. I owe you two favors and I won't forget that.” 

“Well, in that case, Dr. Danvers,” Cat Grant replied, “you can pay me back right now. And it's Cat.”

“What can I do for you? And it's Eliza.” 

“First, I want to know how your bulletproof daughter, who was easily the best assistant I've ever had, managed to cut herself on some broken glass right in front of me. I was beginning to suspect that she might be Supergirl until she did that. And second, I want an interview with your daughter, a tour of Argo City, and an interview with her mother if it can be arranged.”

Eliza grinned, “She hasn't told me about the glass incident, so I can't help you there, but we both thought you might like a trip to Argo. How long will it take you to pack?” She stood to leave.

“Two hours,” Cat replied, as she rose with her audience.

“Then follow the instructions in this note,” and she handed Cat an envelope from her purse, turned, touched the new Cisco Ramon broach she was wearing, walked into an eye-searing, blue-white circle, and disappeared.

The standing ovation that had started with her turn to go became a stunned silence as she vanished. 

As Cat sat down, she caught the questioning look and raised eyebrows of the former President. 

“All right, Mr. President, you win. Dr. Danvers takes the prize.”

“Cat, when you talk to Chair Zor-El, please tell her that I want to pay that salvage bill, if and when,” the former President said. “We can’t have the Argo High Council thinking that all our Presidents lack any sense of honor.”

“Make that half, Mr. President. Chair Zor-El also needs to know that some Americans appreciate her daughter,” Max Lord piped up. 

“It’ll be twenty-five percent from each of you. I’ll put in twenty-five myself and I’ll open a public subscription for the rest,” Cat said.

“That’s fine with me, “Max replied as the former President nodded, “But, you know, Mr. President, there’s another thing we agree on.”

“What’s that, Max?”

“That’s one very tough lady, and I’m glad I’ve never faced her over a negotiating table.”

“And if you’re lucky, you never will,” the former President observed, “But if you do, remember this: it’s not a good idea to make her mad at you.”


	2. She doesn't waste time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was originally planned as a one-shot, but, as Kryptonian85 pointed out, there had to have been more . . .

_The day before . . ._

When the President traveled, White House Press Secretary Cat Grant normally stayed in the same hotels as the rest of the presidential party. But when the President visited National City, Cat made an exception to the rule and stayed in her penthouse condo. She had just e-mailed her response to a recent Presidential decision from her favorite study chair when the phone rang. Preoccupied, she picked it up without looking at it. 

“Cat Grant,” she said. She nearly dropped the phone when a voice she’d never expected to hear again sounded in her ear. 

“Hello Miss Grant, it’s Eliza Danvers, Kara’s mother, and I’m calling because she needs your help–urgently.”

“I’m a little busy right now, what with resigning from the White House, “Cat began, but the other woman overrode her.

“Yes, and that’s partly why I’m calling. I’ll give you two hundred-to-one-odds that I know why you’re resigning, and if I’m wrong, you need to be tipped off on a story that’s about to break. How soon can I see you?”

“I need a little bit more than that, Dr. Danvers.” Cat replied.

“Of course, but the story is best discussed in person. So how about this? I have my daughter’s permission to call in some debts you owe her. And it’s Eliza.” 

“What debts are we talking about?” Cat asked. 

“First, your job at CatCo. Second, your life, which she has saved more than once. And third and most important your son’s life, which she saved the night he slipped away from his minder.”

Cat stared.

“Miss Grant?” the voice prompted.

“It’s Cat. Are you in National City, Eliza?” Cat asked.

“Yes, if you’re at your penthouse, I can be there in ten minutes.”

“I am at my penthouse. I’ll alert the doorman to send you straight up. And Eliza?”

“Yes?” 

“You’d better not be joking.”

“I’m not. See you in ten.”

0000000000

Her hostess was waiting in her living room as the elevator door opened and Eliza Danvers stepped out.

“Hello, Eliza, it’s been a long time.”

“It has,” the taller of the two women replied. “Since the night we helped take down Myriad. Should I tell you why I think you are resigning? And is this room secure?”

“Yes, and yes, the room is secure. You don’t waste time, do you?” 

“I don’t have any to waste. And we’d better establish a ground-rule: our discussion needs to be a deep background conversation. Are you OK with that?” 

Cat nodded.

“I think you’re quitting because you found out that President Baker has forbidden Supergirl from volunteering with any federal agency unless she makes her earth identity public. Am I right?”

Cat nodded again. “Please sit down. Can I offer you coffee or tea?” 

“No thanks,” Eliza replied as she sat on the couch, “But you can tell me what you are going to do now.”

“I’m going back to running CatCo.”

“How can you do that? Didn’t you sell your stock?”

“No,” Cat replied, “I only sold the voting rights to my shares for the duration of my time as Press Secretary. I’ve just called Lena Luthor to tell her what I’ve done and what I’m going to do, and she’s accepted my offer to stay on CatCo’s board. But before you go any further, I’d better put on some music. I hope you don’t mind murmuring in my ear to the accompaniment of Mussorgsky,” Cat said, as she flicked a switch and an amazing recording of _The Great Gate of Kiev_ began at full volume. She sat next to Eliza on the couch and murmured into her ear. “The night Carter slipped away from his minder, that minder was Kara and the only one I know who was involved in saving his life was Supergirl. Now when you say I owe Carter’s life to Kara that night, I have a problem because I’ve seen Kara and Supergirl in the same room together. Can you explain that?”

“Why did President Marsden leave office?” Eliza replied quietly.

Cat had guessed this, but she only raised an eyebrow. Eliza saw it, and continued, “And no, your old friend wasn’t involved in deceiving you. But before I give you some other evidence for my claim, the fact that you are going back to CatCo may change what I want to do. When will your reinstatement take effect?”

“The board meeting is set for 9:30 am tomorrow. Is that soon enough?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Now, you said you had some additional evidence.”

“Yes,” Eliza said as she removed her cell phone from her purse, “But first, speaking for Kara, I’d like to apologize to you for deceiving you, and second, I’d like to have a less biased source provide you with the reasons why she felt it was necessary to do that.”

Cat nodded a third time.

“I assume you have former President Donaldson’s number in your contact list since you broadcast his show?”

“Yes,” Cat replied.

“Please call him on my phone using your number.”

“Why not use my phone?” Cat asked

“You’ll hear, and you’ll get through faster,” Eliza replied. 

Cat punched the number and didn’t hear a ring when it connected. Instead, she was surprised to hear the high-pitched whistle and the recorded “Secure the line, secure the line,” that she knew marked the US government’s most secure communications equipment. As the message changed to “The line is secure,” Cat took a deep breath.

“Hello Dr. Danvers,” came the familiar voice of the former President, “What can I do for you? Have you decided to take up my offer and join the Donaldson company, or has something gone wrong?”

“Hello Mr. President,” Cat replied. 

“Cat Grant, what are you doing on this line?” 

“Dr. Eliza Danvers handed me her phone and told me to call you. How come a university biochemist has a US government secure phone?”

“Are you two alone? And has that room been swept for bugs recently?” 

“Yes, and yes,” Cat replied.

“Then you’d better put me on speaker.”

“Done,” said Cat as she turned down the recording’s volume. 

“Hello Dr. Danvers. Why is Cat Grant calling me on your phone?”

“Because my youngest daughter trusts her. And she also tells me that President Baker has just broken what you were pleased to call the Danvers-Donaldson treaty.” Eliza replied. 

For a second there was only the hum of the phone line and then the two women heard a heartfelt “Oh, shit.” Then the former President continued, “Exactly what did he do?” 

“I suspect the issue is that he forbade Supergirl from volunteering with any federal agency until and unless she revealed the name under which she is living on earth,” Cat said

“Cat’s correct,” echoed Eliza, “Mr. President, please tell Cat how you and I became acquainted and the details of our agreement. And you should know that Cat has given me her word that this is a deep background conversation.” Eliza replied.

“Before I do that, Dr. Danvers, I must know exactly what you are planning to do.”

“That’s no part of our agreement, Mr. President.” 

“No, it isn’t. But I care enough for this country that I won’t willingly see it hurt. If you want my cooperation, you have to tell me what you’re up to.” 

“Fair enough.” Eliza replied, then she paused before continuing, “The country’s national security has already been weakened if not endangered by President Baker’s decision, am I right?”

“You are,” the former President replied.

“If you work with Cat and me, any additional damage to national security will cut to the absolute minimum. I admit that this option admits of a variety of potential outcomes: in the best case, there will be no additional long-term damage whatsoever and possibly only a little more short-term danger. And in any less-than-best-case outcomes, whatever national security damage does take place will arise not from what I am going to do, but from whatever President Baker does in reply. On the other hand, if you don’t work with me, your decision will leave me with only one option. While I don’t want to threaten either you or the country, I must tell you that my last resort is a full unveiling of everything I know to Cat who has just resigned and will be returning to CatCo immediately. And you know that if I do that, the damage to national security will be massive and the fallout will not only land on President Baker but on the whole Gang of Eight and the Intelligence and Justice committees of the House and the Senate. And that could paralyze the Congress until the next election. I think I’ve earned your trust in my goodwill and judgment over these last fifteen years, Mr. President. Will you trust me on this?”

“When you put it that way, I guess I have to,” the former President replied.

“Then after you tell Cat how we became acquainted I’ll tell you both what I want to do and where I’ll need your help.”

OK then, Cat,” President Donaldson began, “It started with a phone call to the White House Signals Office, six months after I was elected. And the call came from Russia . . . “

0000000000

“. . . So that’s what happened, Cat," the former President finished, "But the big question is this; what are you going to do now, Dr. Danvers?” 

After a glance at her hostess who was looking at her as if she’d seen a ghost, Eliza replied, “As I mentioned, Cat has resigned over the President’s actions, and she will be back running CatCo as of about 10 am tomorrow. President Baker is scheduled to appear on CatCo’s _“This Evening”_ tomorrow night. If the host should come down with laryngitis, I suggest that Cat take the interview and introduce America to the second part of the Myriad incident which is when we all came down with those blinding headaches that came very close to killing every human on earth, courtesy of some Kryptonian terrorists. But very few people know that Supergirl is the reason those headaches went away. Even fewer know how she did it, and that her saving the world involved detailed cooperation with more than one arm of the federal government. Would you like to break that story, Cat?”

Cat nodded.

“I thought you might. And since you’ve agreed, I should also tell you that I’ve called former President Marsden to confirm that she’s never classified this incident. I also know that Max Lord, who is one of the very few people who can tell your viewers exactly what went down, is also aware of the situation’s non-classified status. I can reach Max and I have reason to think I can get him to accept your invitation to come on the show. And since I was also on the spot, I can be present to back him up when you interview him. This way, we can show America the value of having the government working with Supergirl.”

“So far so good, but why are you calling me?” President Donaldson asked.

“Because I’d like you to be ready to call in on Skype and tell the audience exactly what you told Cat just now, without, of course, mentioning my name, or my daughter’s name. But there will be someone else who will follow Max and then we’ll put you on.”

“Who’s that?” Cat asked.

“As you likely know from Lois Lane’s recent article, one Kryptonian city, Argo, their capital, survived the explosion and became an asteroid. Argo is now in this galaxy. Using the contacts Supergirl made during a visit there last year I have reached out to the former Chief Judicator of Krypton who will be arriving from Argo tomorrow morning. She can testify that two of the key Kryptonian terrorists were Supergirl’s deeply loved aunt, and her husband: the former was also her mother’s identical twin. While Max will tell us about the terrorist Supergirl had to kill in the key battle, our visitor can identify that terrorist as Supergirl’s uncle, and she can also tell the story of how Supergirl was present at her aunt’s death when the latter was killed in an earlier firefight with US special agents. Despite these facts, Supergirl remained loyal to her new government and people both at that moment and throughout the following years. Giving the audience those additional reasons to trust the Girl of Steel shows up the folly of President Baker’s action in stark terms.”

“I like it, Cat, how about you?” the former President commented. 

“I’m in,” Cat said, “But first we have to get Max Lord lined up.” 

“I don’t think that will be a problem. He knows what he owes Supergirl,” Eliza Danvers remarked, “But we don’t need to take up any more of your time, Mr. President.”

“Thank you, Dr. Danvers. Cat, what number should I call and when?”

“I’ll call you back with those details once Max agrees. Goodbye, Mr. President.”

“Goodbye, ladies,” the former President said, and then he was gone.

Eliza punched a new number into her phone and put it on speaker.

“Well, hello Dr. Danvers, it’s been a long time. My offer is still open and the deputy head of my biotech division will be ecstatic if you’ve reconsidered my offer.” 

“I’m afraid not, Mr. Lord. I’m calling because I need your help. Or rather my youngest daughter needs your help.”

“Help with what?” Max asked, “And why isn’t she asking me herself?”

“I assume you have state of the art security and sweep your office for bugs regularly?” Eliza asked.

“Yes.”

“Then Cat Grant and I will be over to see you in twenty minutes to explain matters. And the answer to the question I’m sure you want to ask is: “Yes, she does.”

0000000000

As the two women drove to the Lord technologies building, Eliza Danvers answered her phone. This wasn’t on speaker, so Cat heard only one side of the conversation.

“Hello Maggie.”

. . . . . . . . . .

“I’m fine, how are you? Thanks for calling back.”

. . . . . . . . . .

“That’s great. Look, I need your help, or rather Kara does.” 

. . . . . . . . . .

“I can be at Noonan’s in about ninety minutes.”

. . . . . . . . . .

“Bye, Maggie, see you soon.” 

“What was that about?” Cat asked as Eliza put her phone away. 

“Just setting up a meeting with someone I hope will be your final guest tomorrow, a police detective sergeant who can speak to an additional attack our family endured because of Kara’s special abilities.” She looked her question at Cat who nodded:

“Yes. After hearing Tom Donaldson’s story, I can understand why Kara lied to me. I don’t see how anyone could have done anything else under the circumstances. And for what it’s worth, you have my sympathy and my respect. Raising even one child singlehanded is no joke. I don’t like to think about raising two. Not to mention dealing with Kara’s unique challenges.” 

0000000000

When the women arrived at Lord Technologies, they were ushered straight to Max’s office. 

“Hello ladies, can I get you some refreshments?”

“Not now, Mr. Lord,” Eliza replied, “but thank you for the offer. We have just learned that President Baker has forbidden Supergirl to volunteer with any federal agency unless she divulges the name under which she has been living here.”

“You don’t waste time do you, Dr. Danvers? He really did that?”

The women nodded.

“Then he’s a monumentally stupid man, and he’s putting national security at risk. How can I help?”

“By letting me interview you on _This Evening_ tomorrow night about the second part of the Myriad incident and Supergirl’s role in stopping those Kryptonian terrorists. I know that the incident has never been classified,” Cat said. “And Dr. Danvers here will be on the show to back you up. Apparently, she was on the spot too.”

“Yes, she was. You know, Dr. Danvers, doing this could present a significant risk to your family.” 

“Thank you for your concern, Mr. Lord, but I’ve given some thought to minimizing the risk. But, in any case, it’s worth it.” 

“I guess that means you want me to tell Cat what happened?”

“Yes.”

“Then it started like this, Cat, . . . “

After the events of the last hour, Cat Grant had thought she was beyond being surprised or awed, but by the time Max was a third of the way through his story, she was both.

00000000000

As Cat Grant enjoyed a late drink on her penthouse balcony, she reflected on what happened a few minutes earlier. Eliza had called and confirmed Maggie’s participation and also told her that Maggie had not only agreed to help but that she had also taken the news of the President’s action to her boss, National City’s police chief who in turn had informed the Mayor. And both men had given statements for Maggie to read on air in praise of Supergirl. As she appreciated how Eliza’s plan seemed to be coming together, her phone rang. It was Eve Tessmacher. 

“Oh, Miss Grant, I’m sorry to call so late, but Mr. Olsen has told me that you are coming back to CatCo.”

“Yes, Eve, I am. Is that a problem?” 

“No, and yes, I’m afraid. No, because it will be great for CatCo, and yes, because I’m resigning. I’ve been working part-time with Dr. Luther on one of her L-Corp projects on my own time, and now she needs me in a full-time role.”

“I’m sorry to see you go. You’re a good assistant.”

“Maybe, but I’m a better biochemist, and that’s what Dr. Luthor needs.”

“When will you leave?” Cat asked. 

“Immediately, I’m afraid. I gave formal notice to CatCo though Dr. Luthor two weeks ago.”

“Then, best wishes for your time at L-Corp.”

“Thank you, Miss Grant,” and Eve was gone.

Cat frowned as she hung up the phone: finding a new assistant was never fun, but then she grinned as she dialed another number. At least she could make it easy for herself on her first day back.

“Hello, Miss Grant,” said the surprised voice in her ear, “I heard you resigned from the White House today.” 

“Yes, Keira, I did, and I’m coming back to CatCo,” she replied, “but Eve Tessmacher has resigned, effective immediately, so I’m afraid I’ll need to take you off reporting duties tomorrow to help me get back up to speed. I’ll come in as a visitor at 9 am and meet you at your office. The board meeting that will make it official will start at 9:30.”

“That’s fine, Miss Grant. I’ll clear you with the security desk and get you your latte from Noonan’s on the way in. And it will be good to have you back. Lena Luthor’s done a great job improving the administrative side, but with Snapper having that heart attack just before he was due to come back from sabbatical, we need you in editorial.”

With that, Cat Grant’s world returned to normal. Except that it hadn’t, and she knew it. 

_The next day_

At 8:45, Kara Danvers arrived in her office, put the piping hot Noonan’s latte on her desk, sat down in her chair and fidgeted. She knew what her foster mother had told Cat the day before, and Eliza had told her what Cat had said in reply. But that was not the same thing as Cat talking to Kara directly. Kara knew that her mentor could use her tongue like a buzz saw. And Kara had lied to her. That, she knew, was unforgivable. 

Fifteen minutes later, Kara froze as she heard a familiar heartbeat come towards her door. As she opened it, with the latte in her other hand, she found Cat Grant standing with arm upraised ready to knock.

“Good morning Miss Grant, here’s your latte, come in.” she said.

“Thank you, Keira,” her mentor said. She took the latte, walked into the office, and shut the door. “We have to talk.”

“Miss Grant, I’m so sorry . . .” Kara began.

Cat put up her hand. “Or rather, I have to talk, so stop talking right now, Kara Danvers. Don’t say a word until I finish this.”

Kara stopped mid-word.

“Thank you. I owe you my job, I owe you my life twice over, and most important, Kara, I also owe you Carter’s life. So, we forget that you lied to me to keep your family out of the spotlight since, as I told Eliza, I don’t see how anyone in your position could have possibly done anything else. And I have also learned that, aside from losing your home, you have also your earth father because you made a perfectly understandable and innocent mistake when you were a young girl and were unfamiliar with your new surroundings. Not to mention the fact that you had to kill your uncle, and you had to endure your aunt dying in your presence. I don’t know anyone to whom life has been crueler than it has been to you. What amazes me is that despite all these disasters, none of which were your fault, you have remained kind, loyal and the unstinting help of earth’s people. Someday, my dear, you’ll have to tell me how you do it. And Kara,” she smiled as she saw the girl give an ineffective swipe at her eyes, “since I’m not officially back yet, this may be the one time you’ll ever be allowed to cry at CatCo during working hours. Feel free to make the most of it.”

Kara managed a goofy half-grin before turning away, grabbing a Kleenex, and wiping her eyes. The two women sat in silence for a few moments until another knock sounded at the door.

“I’d better get that Miss Grant,” Kara said. When she opened the door, a dark-haired woman in blue stood in the doorway. 

“ _Ieiu_ , I’m so glad you’re here. Thank you for coming. Come in.” As the woman entered the room, Kara hugged her. The way she folded into the visitor’s body and the look of deep peace that flowed over her face, told Cat everything she needed to know before Kara could utter a word.

“Miss Grant,” Kara said as she broke from the hug, “may I introduce Alura Zor-El, formerly the Chief Judicator of Krypton and now Chief Judicator of Argo?” Cat nodded, and Kara continued, “She is also my mother. _Ieiu_ this is Cat Grant, my employer, a most valued mentor, and my friend.”

Cat Grant had never felt so humble in her life. She had to swallow twice before she could find her voice. “I’m pleased to meet you, Chief Judicator, but I’m afraid I must ask you to wait here for a few minutes since Kara and I have a meeting we mustn’t be late for. We’ll talk when we get back. But I must say this right now: your daughter is a great credit to Krypton and Argo, and she has been a tremendous beacon of hope for a great many people all around the world, not to mention the person who singlehandedly saved the lives of everyone on this planet. Thank you for raising her as you did.”

“Thank you, Miss Grant. My husband and I may have given her a good start, but it was Dr. Eliza Danvers, who did the hardest part of the job. And I don’t mind waiting alone for a few of your minutes. I’m still adjusting to being back on this planet.”

As she filed the Kryptonian’s remark for later reference, Cat gestured to Kara to lead the way out of the room. 

0000000000

With the board meeting successfully adjourned, Cat motioned to Kara, and they left the boardroom and returned to Kara’s office where her mother was waiting. Then the three women moved to the executive floor and walked toward the CEO’s office.

As they arrived, Cat stopped by Kara’s old desk. 

“Kara, please call the White House Press Office and tell them that Walt Robertson is down with laryngitis, that I’m hosting _This Evening_ tonight, and that I’m changing the guest list. I’ll be substituting Maxwell Lord and Dr. Elizabeth Danvers for Senator Feinberg and Congressman Shifton. Then call the Senator and the Congressman and let them know they won’t be needed. And while you’re doing all that, I’ll call Walt myself and tell him about that nasty laryngitis that will be keeping him at home. After that, I need to talk to you and your mother about tonight.” 

0000000000

With her calls completed a few minutes later, Kara walked into her mentor’s office. Since Cat had only one call to make, she was already done and waiting for her. Planning her mother’s contribution to the upcoming interview took only a few minutes. Introducing Cat and her mother to the new Cisco Ramon broaches Kara had for them and showing them how to use them took only a few minutes more. As they finished the final details, Cat turned to Kara. 

“Kara, please make a lunch reservation for 12:30 today for two at L’Auberge. I’d like to introduce your mother to some good French cooking. And that will give you some time to meet your friend Lena Luther. Yes, I know about your lunch dates with your favorite source.”

Kara had opened her mouth at her boss’ second sentence to object. At her third, she shut it again. Which prompted an amused Alura to raise a pointed eyebrow in Kara’s direction. 

“And, in the meantime, Chief Judicator,” Cat continued, “I’ll need your daughter’s help for the next couple of hours. You can wait on my balcony if you like, or you can wait in Kara’s office.” 

“Thank you, Miss Grant,” Alura replied, “but I think I would like to walk around the area and look around. The last time I was here, I was too busy for sightseeing. Should I be back by 12:00 or 12:15?”

“12:15 will be fine, _Ieiu_ ,” Kara said, as she caught Cat’s signal and walked her mother out of Cat’s office, took her to the elevator, hugged her again, and returned to her old desk. While she was waiting for Cat to call for assistance, she placed a quick call to Lena to confirm that she would be free for lunch.

0000000000

“Hello, Kara,” Lena Luthor said as her favorite reporter walked into her office, “How are you this fine day?” 

“I’m very worried about something.” 

“What’s wrong?”

“Can you keep this a deep background conversation for the next few days? After that, you can shout it to the world if you want to.”

That took Lena aback. James had told her what the term deep background meant: information given to a reporter that could never be repeated. She looked into her friend’s eyes, saw the fear in them, and nodded. 

“And can you answer one question; where will you be tonight at 7:45?”

“Here, working. As you know, my paper chase never stops. Why?”

“Because someone will call or email you around that time and you’ll need to do what they ask you to do. Don’t worry; it won’t be anything illegal, immoral, or fattening.” Kara tried to grin. Her attempt was not successful.

“Kara, you’re starting to get me worried; what’s going on?”

“I made a bad mistake a couple of years ago, and I didn’t tell you something then that I should have. Telling you then would have meant a change in our friendship, telling you now risks blowing it up entirely, but you are going to learn it very soon, and I can’t let you learn it from anyone but me. It’s something Eliza, Alex, and some other people know because they were told by others or found out in various ways, but I, personally, have told this to only one other person ever.”

“Did you do something wrong?” Lena said.

“Not in a general sense. But you may think that keeping this information from you counts as wrong. But before I tell you what this information is, I want to tell you why I’ve kept it to myself. What I’m going to say next is something you will hear confirmed later from other, unbiased sources, but to make a long story short, this information I want to tell you has proved to be very dangerous to the people who know it. It triggered the twelve-year disappearance of my adoptive father, Jeremiah Danvers who we believed dead for almost all of that time. And if he is now really dead, as he very well could be, this information will have played a key role in killing him. And last year, somebody who shouldn't have had this information but had it anyway, came within ten seconds of killing Alex as a direct result. So if I had ever told anybody what I am about to tell you, my action would have increased the potential risk of harm to Alex and Eliza and I have had to take that risk very seriously. Now, I know you wouldn’t tell anyone deliberately. But when the number of people who know something increases, the likelihood of that information getting to people who shouldn’t have it also increases.”

“After all the times' industrial espionage types have targeted L-Corp, I can’t disagree with you there. But are you sure you want to tell me even now?” Lena asked, “If it risks putting Alex and your Mom into more of that kind of danger, I don’t mind not knowing.”

“That’s generous of you. But you need to know this. And you also need to know the other reason I’ve kept my mouth shut.”

“And that is?” Lena asked. 

“I’m selfish,”

Lena chuckled and raised her eyebrows. “You’re kidding.”

“No, I mean it. Here’s why,” Kara replied, “As I said, this is something that is not to my discredit in general, but knowing it does make a big change in how people relate to me. And while it is something that is a part of me, it wasn’t always a part of me. So, even though I've had it for some years now, I still think of this thing as you might think of a coat: something you put on and you take off.”

“What does this have to do with me?” Lena asked.

“Because you’ve been the one person who knows me without the coat and who likes me as I am without the coat. Everybody else in my private life knows about the coat and I see how knowing about the coat changes how they deal with me because I knew a few of them before they knew about the coat and after they knew about it. And I’m weak enough that I can’t wear the coat all the time. I need a place where I can just be me–without the coat. And you, Lena Luthor, have been that place for me, and for that, no matter what happens next, I can’t thank you enough. Because you’ve been the friend the real me has desperately needed in these last few years. And because I needed you not to know about it, I was selfish and didn’t tell you about my coat. But as I said before, it will soon be public knowledge and I can’t let you hear it from anyone else.” 

“Then you’d better tell me, hadn’t you?”

“Yes,” Kara said, “It’s best to start with my original name. It was Kara Zor-El before the Danvers’ adopted me.”

“Zorel? Is that Swiss or German?” Lena asked.

“Neither,” Kara replied as she took a deep breath and visibly forced herself to look her friend in the eye, “It’s Kryptonian.” 

The word hung in the room. 

Until Kara reached up, let down her hair, and took off her glasses.

And Lena Luthor found herself staring into the terrified eyes of Supergirl.

"Oh, my god . . . "


	3. Sometimes it's wise to surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliza Danvers treads a fine line to keep her eldest daughter out of trouble.

_The second day_

It was three in the afternoon when the new Director made her daily round of the DEO duty stations to keep current on what was going on. All was routine until she asked Brainiac if he had anything of interest to report. 

“Nothing really, except the Secret Service wanted to confirm the security status of one of our consultants.” 

“Oh, which consultant?” 

“It was your mother, Dr. Eliza.”

“Did they say why?”

“No, they didn’t. But they were happy when I confirmed her TS/SCI clearance. But there’s something about her clearance I hadn’t seen before – there was no listing of authorized compartments on her file.”

As she listened, a chill ran down Alex’s spine. She knew her mother’s occasional consulting for the DEO gave her Top Secret and Sensitive Compartment Information clearance. But such clearance was usually narrowly restricted to particular subjects and projects (called compartments) and a list of compartments the holder was authorized to enter was inevitably present in the holder’s file. In her mother’s case, there had been a slip-up.

“When did they call?” Alex asked, “And do you have the name and number of the agent who called you?”

“They called around 10:30 this morning,” Brainy replied, “And the agent’s name is Alison McGuigan. Here’s her number,” he handed her a slip of paper, “And she said she was with the detail. Is that a research group?”

Alex looked daggers at him. “Sometimes, I forget that you are this incredible combination of knowledge and ignorance. No, the Detail isn’t a research group, it’s Presidential Security Detail which guards the President, and you should have told me about this earlier. But at least you’ve told me now.” She turned and went to her office. She had a file to search and a call to make.

00000000000 

When Eliza’s phone rang, the Ride of the Valkyries theme told her who the caller was. But when she answered it, she was surprised to hear the secure line protocol which her daughter never used with her. After she pressed the key combination that secured the call, she spoke, “Hello Alex,” she said, “What’s going on?” 

“Are you in National City, Mom?” 

“Yes, Kara brought me back last night.”

“I’m not surprised. Why did my boss’s minders ask us to clear you for a meeting with him?”

“We’d best talk about that in person. Maybe we can have dinner together. I can be at your place at 5:30. I’ve baked a blueberry pie for you.” 

“You’re trying to bribe me, aren’t you?” her daughter asked. 

“You always were a smart girl,” Eliza replied.

“And you’re dodging the question. That’s something you never let either of us get away with.”

“Of course not; it’s rude. But I’m not dodging the question. I answered it as best I can right now.”

For a moment, Alex was silent. Then she said, “I see. I’ll be home at 5:30.”

“Just as I said, you always were a smart girl.” 

0000000000

Alex made sure she left the DEO with ample time to meet her deadline. And she brought a colleague with her. As she opened her apartment door, the delicious smells of an Eliza Danvers turkey dinner and blueberry pie wafted into her nostrils.

“Hello, Mom,” she called.

“Hello, Alex,” Eliza replied as she gave her daughter a full hug. Then she noticed the man standing in the doorway, “Come in Brainiac, I’m sorry I didn’t see you.” 

“Don’t worry, Dr. Danvers; I’m not staying. The Director wanted me to make sure that there are no bugs in the place. And there aren’t. And there won’t be.” He placed a small box on the table by the door and flicked a switch. “Goodnight ladies,” With that, he turned away and let the door close.

“That was quick.” Eliza commented, “In that case, dinner is ready, Alex. We’ll talk after we eat.”

Alexandra Danvers was a double Ph.D., a brilliant researcher, a fiendishly clever interrogator, a highly commended DEO leader and agent, and adept at dealing out precisely targeted violence whenever it was necessary. But she had never been able to force her mother to do anything her mother didn’t want to do. So, she bowed to the inevitable. 

“I’m hungry,” she said.

“I thought you might be,” Eliza grinned.

0000000000

As the two women finished dinner, Alex asked her question, “Mom, why are you meeting with my big boss?”

“Kara told me what happened yesterday,” Eliza replied, “So I went to see Cat Grant and found out that she already knew, and that she was resigning from her position and she has returned to her role as CEO of CatCo as of this morning.”

“Yes, I know,” Alex commented. “Kara called me last night to tell me. But, sorry, go on.”

“So I told Cat about how Max Lord and I had been involved with the last phase of the Myriad operation – which I have discovered is still an unclassified event – and I asked her to set up a meeting between your boss, Mr. Lord and myself. This way, Mr. Lord, who has already agreed, can tell the story of the second part of Myriad and why Supergirl working with the government was essential to the outcome. In other words, he’ll show your boss that it’s not a good idea to keep Supergirl from volunteering with law enforcement. And I’ll be confirmation.”

Alex thought through what her mother had said. Then she said, “Is Kara OK with what you’re doing?”

“Yes, when I told her she said, ’You’re right. I wish you weren’t, but you are.’ But what do you think?”

“I think it might work. But you do realize that Cat Grant could also put a spotlight on you, Mom? Not to mention one on me, and a huge one on Kara.”

“Do you think that will leave us any worse off than we are now because of the President’s decision?”

Alex opened her mouth to say “Yes,” but her mind wouldn’t let her. Instead, she realized the full danger of the situation her family now faced. Inevitably, and sooner rather than later, something would happen, and the lack of Supergirl/government cooperation would be noticed. Questions would be asked. And those questions would be answered. Oh, the President wouldn’t answer them on the record. No, it was far more likely that one of the White House staffers would be tasked to leak the fact that Supergirl was not trusted because she hid her identity. And that leak would trigger a countrywide quest to uncover Supergirl’s other identity by the media and others. And that search would put not only Kara at risk but also her mother and herself. 

“I see your point,” Alex replied, “If we don’t do something like your proposed meeting, Kara will be outed within three months. And we’ll be outed with her.”

“Exactly,” Eliza replied, “So what I’m doing is a necessary risk.” 

“True enough. But there’s something else you haven’t told me,” Alex continued.

“Oh, what’s that?”

“When the Secret Service called Brainy today, he confirmed your safe status, but he noticed that you don’t have a compartment list on your TS/SCI authorization.”

“And why is that significant?” Eliza asked.

“Unlimited TS/SCI status is the highest security clearance in the entire US government.” Alex replied, “Its’ holders have access to everything in the government’s classified files. Normally, this status is only held by the President, the congressional Gang of Eight, and the Director of National Intelligence, all of whom oversee the work of the intelligence agencies. Within operational intelligence, not even the CIA and FBI Directors hold it: the only OpIntel person with unlimited TS/SCI status heads the government’s single cross-functional intelligence/operations agency – the DEO, which is me. And you are not the President, you’re not in oversight, nor are you the head of the DEO. And it’s no accident that you hold this clearance. I’ve checked your file. You’ve had it for over a decade. And since you became a DEO consultant you’ve used it: you’ve checked every single compartment the DEO or Kara has ever been involved in. And last night you went to the DEO, and you copied a bunch of them; all the major ops involving Supergirl or Fort Rozz aliens without any administrative or operational trivia or secondary Containment details. And I’m not just your daughter, Mom, . . .”

Eliza raised her hand, and Alex stopped. “Alex, have I ever lied to you?”

“Not once.”

“Then please don’t go where you were about to go. There are valid and legally authorized reasons why I hold that clearance and why I have used it as I have. I promise you that I won’t misuse that information in any way that is outside those parameters, nor will I do anything that will hurt the country any more than your boss has already hurt it. Also, what I’ve planned may minimize the short-term dangers we face. And I promise you that I’ll explain soon. Will you trust me on this?”

“Soon? How soon is soon?” Alex asked. 

“Please give me forty-eight hours.”

“Deal,” Alex replied. 

“And on that note,” Eliza continued, “You’d better get back to your office. Julia is waiting to see you.”

“Why does Dr. Hamilton want to see me?” Alex asked. 

“Because she’s about to put you on medical leave for the next eight weeks. You haven’t taken a vacation in the last four years, and your efficiency ratings are taking a hit.”

“Did you put her up to this, Mom?”

“I did point out that you were in violation of policy and I asked her how long she’d be prepared to let you strain your health, and maybe put a team at risk.”

“But I’ve got too much to do.” 

“Nonsense. Colonel Lane at Desert Containment can cover for you easily enough. She’s done it before.”

Alex thought about her just-promoted friend who had run the DEO so smoothly during Myriad, “You win. Now I just have to figure out what to do for eight weeks.” 

“No, you don’t,” her mother replied as she handed her daughter a sealed envelope.

“What’s this?” Alex asked.

“We’re going on a vacation. Open that at exactly 8 pm tonight, no earlier and not one second later, and it will give you all the details.”

“Why not earlier?” 

“Because I think you’ll appreciate the surprise.”

“You’re being cryptic again. But since you had a good reason the last time, I’ll trust you for this one too. But if I take your hint correctly, we’re leaving almost immediately?”

Her mother nodded. 

“Then you’ll have to pack for me if I have to go see Dr. Hamilton.”

“I’ll do that. Off you go.” 

The two women hugged, and then Alex left.

After the door closed, Eliza walked slowly to a side table and picked up the family photo that they’d taken soon after Kara had come to them. Of the four faces in the picture, she looked longest at her husband. Finally, she muttered, “I’m sorry about Alex’s job, Jeremiah, but you said it: it’s not on the free list for the US government to mess with this family for a second time.”

0000000000

At 8 pm, Alex Danvers read the letter in her hand. It was short and to the point.

_Dear Alex,_

_You will need to sit in on the meeting with the President that I mentioned this afternoon, so turn on your office TV to WCAT channel 9 for their “This Evening” Program right now. Cat tells me that you’ll be getting a call from Senator Crane who, as one of the Gang of Eight and Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has the right to ask for your files on all the subjects we will be talking about, so you should collect those files as you listen. In case Senator Crane does not ask for them, you should also include the following items in that package: my complete file and access records, the footage of you shooting Kara during the red K incident, Jonn’s chest camera recording and the return of the pod to the DEO with you and Kara the day Kara threw Fort Rozz into space. Also, after the program ends, email the files to Senator Crane with a copy to the President according to standard DEO procedures._

_As for our vacation destination; it’s Argo: we will leave from the “Superfriend’s” office on the accounting floor of CatCo as soon after 9 PM as you can get here._

_Love_

_Mom_

_PS: I hope you won’t be too mad at me for not telling you everything. And yes, Kara knew the whole plan beforehand, but I told her not to tell you. I didn’t want you to face a conflict of interest. Keep this letter safe._

“I don’t know how mad I’ll be until I know what you’ve done.” Alex muttered. She managed to turn on her TV and bring up her computer before her secure phone rang. It was Senator Crane, with the order that her mother had predicted.

A few moments after she hung up the phone, it rang again. This time it was Lucy Lane's Assistant Deputy Director, Sue Vasquez at Desert Containment reporting that Supergirl's pod had just taken off in an unoccupied flight. 

0000000000

A few moments before the broadcast finished, a bald man seated in what was supposed to be the most secure cell of the most secure prison in the United States saw Eliza Danvers vanish into the blue-white circle thanks to a TV that had been custom installed for him. Shaking his head, he muttered: “Not a bad gambit for a new player. Congratulations, Dr. Danvers, you have just done my job for me.” 

0000000000

As the broadcast finished, a rigidly controlled Alex Danvers, muttered, "'Appreciate the surprise.' Yeah, right." She sent the required files to Senator Crane (with the President cc'd) over the secure email link, walked out to the main hall, ran through the five minute ceremony that turned over command to Lucy Lane, signed out of the DEO on medical leave, hopped on her Ducati and roared off to CatCo to give her mother a piece of her mind.

**Author's Note:**

> Where else do you think Alex Danvers got her fire?


End file.
